Oral treatment device

ABSTRACT

An oral treatment device that emits light onto surfaces of a user&#39;s teeth. In one aspect, the oral treatment device includes an intraoral mouthpiece. The mouthpiece may comprise a lamp support structure comprising a lamp support surface; first and second lamps, each of the first and second lamps comprising a plurality of light emitters that generate light which is emitted from a rear surface of the lamp; each of the first and second lamps mounted to the lamp support surface, thereby forming a lamp assembly, each of the first and second lamps operably coupled to a control circuit having a power source; and a lamp retaining component coupled to the lamp support structure, a lower portion of the first lamp and an upper portion of the second lamp retained between the lamp retaining component and the lamp support surface of the lamp support structure.

BACKGROUND

Oral treatments, such as tooth whitening, are an increasingly populartreatment. Dentists and patients alike are searching for techniques thatare both convenient and comfortable. Typically, to whiten a user's teetha composition containing hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth andallowed to remain in contact with the teeth to be bleached for a periodof time. Current systems are available that allow a user to applyradiation or light to the surfaces of the teeth that are pre-coated withthe whitening composition to enhance the effectiveness of the whiteningcomposition. However, currently available systems are bulky and rigidand undesirable for one or more reasons, such as requiring complex headmounting gear, being hand-held, or requiring a furniture-like mountedlamp. Specifically, current systems do not emit radiation or light ontothe user's pre-coated teeth uniformly and in a manner that effectivelycovers the entire tooth surface. Thus, a need exists for a toothwhitening device that is able to effectively emit radiation or lightonto a user's teeth.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention may be directed, in one aspect, to a teethwhitening system that emits electromagnetic radiation, such as light,onto surfaces of the user's teeth.

In one aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment device comprising:an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a lamp support structure comprisinga lamp support surface having a concave curvature and a front surfacehaving a convex curvature, the lamp support structure formed of a firstmaterial; a lamp comprising: a flexible sheet body having a frontsurface and a rear surface; and a plurality of light emitters embeddedwithin the flexible sheet body that generate light which is emitted fromthe rear surface of the flexible sheet body; the lamp mounted to thelamp support surface of the lamp support structure so that the rearsurface of the flexible sheet body of the lamp assumes a concavecurvature, thereby forming a lamp assembly, the lamp operably coupled toa control circuit having a power source; and a guard componentovermolded to the lamp assembly, the guard component formed of anelastomeric material having a hardness that is less than a hardness ofthe first material.

In another aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment devicecomprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a lamp support structurecomprising a lamp support surface; first and second lamps, each of thefirst and second lamps comprising a plurality of light emitters thatgenerate light which is emitted from a rear surface of the lamp; each ofthe first and second lamps mounted to the lamp support surface, therebyforming a lamp assembly, each of the first and second lamps operablycoupled to a control circuit having a power source; and a lamp retainingcomponent coupled to the lamp support structure, a lower portion of thefirst lamp and an upper portion of the second lamp retained between thelamp retaining component and the lamp support surface of the lampsupport structure.

In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment devicecomprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a lamp support surface;first and second electrical contact elements electrically coupled to acontrol circuit having a power source, the first electrical contactelement comprising a first contact surface and the second contactelement comprising a second contact surface, each of the first andsecond contact surfaces of the first and second contact elements forminga portion of the lamp support surface; a lamp comprising: a plurality oflight emitters that generate light which is emitted from a rear surfaceof the lamp; and first and second electrical contacts, the firstelectrical contact having a first contact surface that forms a firstportion of a front surface of the lamp, and the second electricalcontact having a second contact surface that forms a second portion ofthe front surface of the lamp; and the lamp mounted to the lamp supportsurface so that: (1) the first contact surface of the first electricalcontact of the lamp contacts the first contact surface of the firstelectrical contact element; and (2) the second contact surface of thesecond electrical contact of the lamp contacts the second contactsurface of the second electrical contact element.

In still another aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment devicecomprising: a control circuit comprising a power source; and anintraoral mouthpiece comprising: a first electrical conductor configuredto have a first electrical charge, a second electrical conductorconfigured to have a second electrical charge that is opposite the firstelectrical charge, and a third electrical conductor configured to havethe first electrical charge; first and second lamps, each of the firstand second lamps comprising: a plurality of light emitters configured togenerate light; and first and second electrical contacts; the first lamppositioned above the second lamp; and the first electrical conductorelectrically coupling the power source to the first electrical contactof the first lamp, the third electrical conductor electrically couplingthe power source to the first electrical contact of the third lamp, andthe second electrical conductor coupling the power source to each of thesecond electrical contacts of the first and second lamps.

In a further aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment devicecomprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a lamp support structurehaving an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge, and a second sideedge; a lamp comprising a plurality of light emitters configured togenerate light which is emitted from the lamp, the lamp mounted to thelamp support structure to form a lamp assembly, the lamp operablycoupled to a control circuit having a power source; and a guardcomponent coupled to the lamp assembly, the guard component formed of anelastomeric material, the guard component comprising a first wingportion extending beyond the first side edge of the lamp supportstructure and a second wing portion extending beyond the second sideedge of the lamp support structure, the first and second wing portionsforming flexible distal end portions of the intraoral mouthpiece.

In a still further aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment devicecomprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a lamp comprising: aflexible sheet body having a front surface and a rear surface; and aplurality of light emitting diodes embedded within the flexible sheetbody that generate light which is emitted from the rear surface of theflexible sheet body, the lamp operably coupled to a control circuithaving a power source; and the flexible sheet body comprising: aflexible lens plate formed of a biocompatible material, the flexiblelens plate having a front surface and a rear surface; and the pluralityof light emitting diodes printed to the front surface of the flexiblelens plate, the rear surface of the flexible lens plate forming the rearsurface of the flexible sheet body; and the rear surface of the flexiblesheet body of the lamp having a concave curvature and being exposed soas to form a light emitting surface of the mouthpiece.

In an even further aspect, the invention may be an oral treatment devicecomprising: an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a first light emittingsurface configured to emit light onto a user's maxillary teeth, thefirst light emitting surface having a concave curvature; a second lightemitting surface configured to emit light onto a user's mandibularteeth, the second light emitting surface having a concave curvature; thefirst and second light emitting surface located on opposite sides of ahorizontal reference plane; the first light emitting surface inclined sothat a first acute angle is formed between with the first light emittingsurface and the horizontal reference plane; and the second lightemitting surface inclined so that a second acute angle is formed betweenwith the second light emitting surface and the horizontal referenceplane.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a teeth whitening device inaccordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the teeth whitening device of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1,taken from a front perspective view thereof;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1,taken from a rear perspective view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the upper portion of the housingof the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the lower portion of the housing ofthe teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the electrical contact componentof the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the electrical contact componentof the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the anchor component of the teethwhitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the anchor component of the teethwhitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the curved support plate of theteeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the curved support plate of theteeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a rear view of the curved support plate of the teethwhitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a rear perspective view of the first and second flexiblelamps of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of the first and second flexiblelamps of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the first and second flexible lampsof the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1 taken along view XIX;

FIG. 20 is a rear perspective view of the lamp retaining component ofthe teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of the lamp retaining component ofthe teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of the guard component of the teethwhitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 23 is a rear perspective view of the guard component of the teethwhitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 24 is a rear view of the guard component of the teeth whiteningdevice of FIG. 1;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the teeth whitening device of FIG.1 taken along view XXIV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the teeth whitening device of FIG.1 taken along view XXV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the teeth whitening device of FIG.1 taken along view XXVI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of the curved support plate;

FIG. 29 is a rear perspective of the curved support plate of FIG. 28with the anchor component coupled thereto to form a lamp supportstructure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 30 is a rear perspective view of the lamp support structure of FIG.29 with the first and second flexible lamps mounted to the lamp supportsurface thereof, thereby forming a lamp assembly in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view of the lamp assembly of FIG. 30 withthe lamp retaining component coupled thereto;

FIG. 32 is a rear perspective of the lamp assembly of FIG. 31 in whichthe guard component has been overmolded thereto to form the mouthpiece;

FIG. 33 is a rear perspective view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 32positioned such that the anchor elements are in mating cooperation withthe lower portion of the housing;

FIG. 34 is a rear perspective view of the mouthpiece of FIG. 32 in whichthe upper portion of the housing has been added, thereby completingassembly of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 35 is a rear perspective view of the teeth whitening device of FIG.1 wherein the light emitters are activated and generating light; and

FIG. 36 is a rear view of the teeth whitening device of FIG. 35.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles ofthe present invention is intended to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entirewritten description. In the description of embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merelyintended for convenience of description and is not intended in any wayto limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as“lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,”“down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g.,“horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed torefer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawingunder discussion. These relative terms are for convenience ofdescription only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed oroperated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated assuch. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,”“interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structuresare secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectlythrough intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigidattachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated byreference to the illustrated embodiments. Accordingly, the inventionexpressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodimentsillustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that mayexist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of theinvention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

Furthermore, it should be noted while the oral treatment device of thepresent invention is described herein as being a teeth whitening device,it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited. Forexample, in certain embodiment, the oral treatment device of the presentinvention can be configured to emit light for other oral treatmentpurposes, including without limitation, enhancing oral tissue healing,antibacterial purposes, treating tooth sensitivity, disinfecting,cleansing, and combinations thereof. In such other embodiments, thecharacteristics of the light being emitted by the oral treatment deviceof the present invention will be selected to achieve the desiredtreatment, such as wavelength, intensity, power, light density and/orother characteristics. In still other embodiments, the benefit of theoral treatment device can be dictated by the oral car material withwhich it is used in conjunction therewith. For example, in certainembodiments, the oral care treatment device may be used in conjunctionwith other oral care materials, including without limitation,antibacterial agents, anti-sensitivity agents, anti-inflammatory agents,anti-attachment agents, plaque indicator agents, flavorants, sensates,breath freshening agents, gum health agents and colorants. Examples ofthese agents include metal ion agents (e.g., stannous ion agents, copperion agents, zinc ion agents, silver ion agents) triclosan; triclosanmonophosphate, chlorhexidine, alexidine, hexetidine, sanguinarine,benzalkonium chloride, salicylanilide, domiphen bromide, cetylpyridiniumchloride, tetradecylpyridinium chloride, N-tetradecyl-4-ethylpyridiniumchloride (TDEPC), octenidine, delmopinol, octapinol, nisin, essentialoils, furanones, bacteriocins, flavans, flavinoids, folic acids,vitamins, minerals, hydrogen peroxide, urea peroxide, sodiumpercarbonate, PVP-H2O2, polymer-bound perxoxides, potassium nitrates,occluding agents, bioactive glass, arginine salts, arginine bicarbonate,bacalin, polyphenols, ethyl pyruvate, guanidinoethyl disulfide, tartarcontrol agents, anti-stain ingredients, phosphate salts,polyvinylphosphonic acid, PVM/MA copolymers; enzymes, glucose oxidase,papain, ficin, ethyl lauroyl arginate, menthol, carvone, and anethole,various flavoring aldehydes, esters, and alcohols, spearmint oils,peppermint oil, wintergreen oil, sassafras oil, clove oil, sage oil,eucalyptus oil, marjoram oil, cinnamon oil, lemon oil, lime oil,grapefruit oil, and/or orange oil.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5 concurrently, a teeth whitening device 100 willbe described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.As will be described in greater detail below, the teeth whitening device100 is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation, in the form oflight, that assists with the whitening of teeth. The teeth whiteningdevice 100, in some embodiments, can be used by itself to whiten theteeth of the user by simply generating light that is emitted onto thefacial surfaces of the users teeth. In certain other embodiments,however, the teeth whitening device 100 may be used in conjunction witha tooth whitening composition. Suitable tooth whitening compositionsinclude, but are not limited to, hydrogen peroxide compositions,carbamide peroxide compositions, calcium peroxide compositions, sodiumperborate compositions, combinations thereof, or any other oral carematerial that is known or discovered to whiten teeth. In suchembodiments, the tooth whitening composition can be applied directly tothe desired surfaces of the user's teeth (such as the facial surfaces)or can be applied to the teeth whitening device 100 itself. Either way,the tooth whitening composition comes into contact with the user's teethwhile the light emitted from the teeth whitening device 100 isconcurrently passed through the tooth whitening composition to irradiatethe teeth.

Furthermore, while in the illustrated embodiment the invention is shownsuch that the light is emitted from the teeth whitening system 100 tocontact the buccal surfaces of the teeth, in other embodiments the teethwhitening system 100 can be configured to emit light onto the lingual,incisal, and/or occlusal surfaces of the teeth instead of and/or inaddition to the buccal surfaces. In such embodiments, the lamps can bepositioned within the bite plate and/or in the rear walls of themouthguard that oppose the lingual surfaces of the teeth.

The teeth whitening system 100 generally comprises a mouthpiece 101 anda housing 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the mouthpiece 101 issized and shaped so that it can be inserted into the user's oral cavityduring use and, thus, can be considered to be intraoral in nature. Tothe contrary, the housing 102 is sized, shaped, and oriented so that itprotrudes from the user's oral cavity during use of the teeth whiteningsystem 100 and, thus, can be considered extraoral in nature. In oneembodiment, the housing 102 and the mouthpiece are configured such thatthe teeth whitening system 100 is a self-contained hands-free devicethat can put into the oral cavity and supported in the user's mouthsimply using one's teeth.

The housing 102 and the mouthpiece 101 are coupled together so that themouthpiece 101 extends from the housing 102 in a direction generallyopposite the direction in which light is emitted from the mouthpiece101. The mouthpiece 101 (which as discussed below may be formed by aplurality of components) generally comprises a body that includes anarch-shaped wall 104 and a bite platform 105 extending horizontally fromthe arch-shaped wall 104. The arch-shaped wall 104 has a curvature thatgenerally corresponds to the arch of the human dentiture.

The arch-shaped wall 104 comprises a first light emitting surface 106that is located above the bite platform 105 and a second light emittingsurface 107 that is located below the bite platform 105. The first lightemitting surface 106 has a concave curvature and is configured to emitlight onto a user's maxillary teeth. The second light emitting surface107 also has a concave curvature and is configured to emit light onto auser's mandibular teeth. In the illustrated embodiment, the lightemitted by the first and second light emitting surfaces 106, 107 isgenerated by first and second flexible lamps respectively, the detailsof which will be described in greater detail below with respect to FIGS.6-7 and 17-19. In other embodiments, however, the light emitted by thefirst and second light emitting surfaces 106, 107 may be generated withother light sources that are either embedded in the arch-shaped wall 104and/or transmitted to the first and second light emitting surfaces 106,107 using light piping or other suitable techniques. As will bediscussed in greater detail below, the first and second light emittingsurfaces 106, 107 are positioned and oriented within the mouthpiece 101to be positioned close to and optimally oriented relative to the user'smaxillary and mandibular teeth when the teeth whitening system 100 isbeing used.

The arched wall 104 and the bite platform 105 collectively form a firstchannel 108 and a second channel 109 for receiving a user's teeth duringa tooth whitening session. More specifically, in the illustratedembodiment, an upper portion of the arched wall 104 comprises the firstlight emitting surface 106 and extends upward from an upper surface ofthe bite platform 105, thereby forming the first channel 108. A lowerportion of the arched wall 104 comprises the second light emittingsurface 107 and extends downward from a lower surface of the biteplatform 105, thereby forming the second channel 109. During use, themouthpiece 101 is inserted into a user's mouth such that the biteplatform 105 is trapped or sandwiched between the user's maxillary andmandibular teeth. When so positioned, the first light emitting surface106 is adjacent to the facial surfaces of the user's maxillary teeth andhas a curvature such that the first light emitting surface 106 generallycorresponds to at least the anterior portion of the arch of themaxillary teeth. Similarly, the second light emitting surface 107 isadjacent the facial surfaces of the user's mandibular teeth and has acurvature such that the second light emitting surface 107 generallycorresponds to at least the anterior portion of the arch of themandibular teeth.

It should be noted, however, that in certain embodiments of theinvention, the mouthpiece 101 may be designed such that the biteplatform 105 is omitted. In one such embodiment, the first and secondlight emitting surfaces 106, 107 may be maintained as separate anddistinct light emitting areas, each of which emits light only onto thefacial surfaces of the maxillary teeth and the facial surfaces of themandibular teeth respectively. In another such embodiment, the first andsecond light emitting surfaces 106, 107 may be merged into a singlelight emitting area that emits light onto the facial surfaces of boththe maxillary and mandibular teeth. In another embodiment, the biteplatform 105 may be omitted and only a single light emitting surface maybe provided that emits light only onto the facial surfaces of themaxillary teeth or only onto the facial surfaces of the mandibular teethat any given time. In still another embodiment, the bite platform 105can be included and only one of the first or second light emittingsurfaces may be provided. In a further embodiment, the mouthpiece 101may be formed as two separable components, wherein one componentcontains the first light emitting surface 106 for emitting light ontothe upper teeth and the other component contains the second lightemitting surface 107 for emitting light onto the user's lower teeth.

In certain embodiments, the mouthpiece 101 (including all of thecomponents thereof that come into contact with the oral cavity) isformed of a biocompatible material, such as a food grade polymer.Suitable biocompatible materials include, without limitation,polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), polyethylene (PE), silicone, ethylene propylene dienemonomer (EPDM), polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), andother plastics. Of course, the invention is not to be so limited in allembodiments and other materials are possible for construction of themouthpiece 101, and various components thereof. In certain embodiments,the mouthpiece 101, or at least portions thereof, may be formed of anelastomeric material. This will be described in greater detail below.

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 102 contains a controlcircuit 200 (see FIG. 25). The control circuit 200 generally comprises,among other components, a properly programmed processor, a memorydevice, a power source 201, a timer, and an actuator 202 that areoperably coupled together. The control circuit 200, in turn, is operablyand electrically coupled to each of the first and second lamps 300A-B sothat the control circuit 200 can control the operation thereof.

The properly programmed processor may be any suitable microprocessorbased programmable logic controller, personal computer, or the like thathas memory for storing various instructions to control the operation ofthe first and second lamps 300A-B. The processor is programmed withalgorithms to receive data from the various other electrical componentsand sensors, analyze the data, and cause the electrical components tooperate in a desired or predetermined manner based on instructions thatare stored in the memory device or an integrated memory area of theprocessor.

In the illustrated embodiment, the power source 201 is operably andelectrically coupled to the processor and to the first and second lamps300A-B so that electrical energy can be provided thereto for poweringthe same. The power source 201 may be one or more batteries, batterycells, printed batteries, rechargeable batteries, super capacitors, or acontrol circuit that stores electrical energy. Alternatively, in certainembodiments, the power source may be omitted and instead the electroniccomponents of the tooth whitening device 100 may be powered by a plugthat is coupled to a power supply, such as a wall socket. While notshown herein, the teeth whitening device 100 may be part of a largersystem that includes a docking station that includes chargingcapabilities. In one such embodiment, the teeth whitening device 100 ispart of a system including docking station that includes a chargingcircuit configured to charge a rechargeable battery of the teethwhitening device 100 by inductive charging.

In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 202 is a depressible button.However, the invention is not to be so limited and the actuator 202 canbe any type of device that upon actuation powers on and/or off one ormore of the electrical components stored within the housing 102. Forexample, the actuator 202 can be a slide switch, a touch pad, a knob, orany other component that upon actuation causes the teeth whiteningdevice 100 to function as described herein. In other embodiments, theactuator 202 can be a sensor or other device that is automaticallyactivated upon the mouthpiece 101 of the teeth whitening device beinginserted into the oral cavity, such as a temperature sensor, awater-activated sensor that is activated by saliva, a proximity sensor,a humidity sensor, or any other suitable sensor or switch.

The actuator 202 is operably coupled to the processor so that upondepressing or otherwise actuating the actuator 202, the processorinitiates operation of the teeth whitening system 100 as described inmore detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-7 concurrently, the teeth whitening device 100is illustrated in an exploded state. As can be seen, in the illustratedembodiment, the mouthpiece 101 of the teeth whitening device 100 is amulti-component structure that generally comprises a curved supportplate 400, an anchor component 500, an electrical contact component 50,first and second flexible lamps 300A-B, a lamp retaining component 600,and a guard component 700. In other embodiments, one or more of theaforementioned components may be omitted and in even furtherembodiments, the mouthpiece 101 may simply comprises single component towhich at least one of the first or second lamps 300A-B is mounted asdiscussed below. The first and second flexible lamps 300A-B can beelectrically coupled to the control circuit 200 in series or inparallel.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-9 and 24-26 concurrently, the housing 102generally comprises an upper portion 150 and a lower portion 151. Whenjoined, the upper and lower portions 150, 151 of the housing 150 form aninternal chamber 109 in which the electrical components of the controlcircuit 200 are disposed. When the teeth whitening device 100 isassembled, the internal chamber 109 is sealed so as to prevent theingress of water and other fluids. The housing 102 can be formed of anysuitable materials, including hard plastics such as PP or any other hardplastic material described herein. If desired, an elastomeric material,such as a thermoplastic elastomer, can be overmolded to the upper andlower portions 150, 151 of the housing 102. Such overmolding can be usedto seal the interface between the upper and lower portions 150, 151 ofthe housing 102 and/or to provide a gripping surface to the user.

The housing 101 extends from a proximal end 110 to a distal end 111. Thedistal end 111 is configured to have the mouthpiece 101 coupled thereto.In the illustrated embodiment, the distal end 111 of the housing isflared and comprises an opening 113 through which the mouthpiece 101extends for mounting to the housing 102. The opening 113 is defined by aclosed-geometry edge 118 of the distal end 111 of the housing 102. Theopening 113 forms a passageway into a mounting chamber 119. The mountingchamber 119 terminates in a housing wall 114. The housing wall 114separates the mounting chamber 119 of the housing 102 from the internalchamber 109 of the housing 102. The housing wall 114 comprises a firstanchor aperture 115, a second anchor aperture 116, and an electricalconnection aperture 117. The housing wall 114 is formed by thecombination of an upper wall portion 114A that is part of the upperportion 150 of the housing 102 and a lower wall portion 114B that ispart of the lower portion 151 of the housing 102.

As will be described in greater detail below, the first and secondanchor apertures 115, 116 provide a feature through which the anchorelements 521A-B of the mouthpiece 101 extend, thereby allowing theanchor elements 521A-B to mechanically mate with the housing 101 to fixthe mouthpiece 110 to the housing 102. Moreover, the electricalconnection aperture 117 forms a passageway from the mounting chamber 119into the internal chamber 109 so that electrical conductors (discussedin greater detail below) can be run that electrically couple the controlcircuit 200 to the first and second lamps 300A-B, thereby providing amechanism through which electrical power from the power source 201 canbe provided to the first and second lamps 300A-B.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-11, an electrical contact component 50 isillustrated according to an embodiment of the present invention. As willbe described in greater detail below, the electrical contact component50 is mounted within the mouthpiece 101 and is configured to provide thenecessary electrical energy from the power source 201 to each of theflexible lamps 300A-B so that the flexible lamps 300A-B can beactivated.

The electrical contact component 50 generally comprises an integrallyformed monolithic base structure 51 formed of a dielectric material. Thebase structure 51 comprises a base section 52 and first, second, andthird tabs 53A-C extending from the base section 52. Each of the first,second and third tabs 53A-C are elongated in nature and extend parallelto one another in a spaced apart manner. Each of the first, second, andthird tabs 53A-C are provided with an electrically conductive material,thereby converting each of the first, second, and third tabs 53A-C intofirst, second, and third electrical contact elements 54A-C respectively.The electrically conductive material may in the form of a metalliccoating layer, an embedded metallic trace, an embedded wire, orcombinations thereof.

Each of the first, second, and third electrical contact elements 54A-Care electrically isolated from one another in one embodiment. In anotherembodiment, the first and third electrical contact elements 54A, 54C maybe in electrical communication due to the first and third electricalcontact elements 54A, 54C carrying the same electrical charge whencoupled to the control circuit 200. However, in such an embodiment, thefirst and third electrical contact elements 54A, 54C would still beelectrically isolated from the second electrical contact element 54B,which carries an electrical charge that is opposite that which iscarried by the first and third electrical contact elements 54A, 54C whencoupled to the control circuit 200.

The first electrical contact element 54A comprises a first contactsurface 55A. The second electrical contact element 54B comprises asecond contact surface 55B. The third electrical contact element 54Ccomprises a third contact surface 55C. In the illustrated embodiment,the second contact surface 55B is a stepped surface comprising a firstportion 56A and a second portion 56B that are horizontally offset fromone another. As discussed below, the first portion 56A of the secondcontact surface 55B contacts a second electrical contact 312A of thefirst flexible lamp 300A while the second portion 56B of the secondcontact surface 55B contacts a second electrical contact 312B of thesecond flexible lamp 300B. The first contact surface 55A, on the otherhand, contacts only the first electrical contact 311A of the firstflexible lamp 300A, while the third contact surface 55C contacts onlythe first electrical contact 311B of the second flexible lamp 300B. Inother embodiments, the second contact surface 55B may not be stepped andmay simply be designed to contact a single electrical contact of one ofthe first or second lamps 300A-B.

It should further be noted that in certain embodiments, the first,second, and third electrical contact elements 54A-C can be separate anddistinct structures. In one such embodiment, each of the first, second,and third electrical contact elements 54A-C can be tabs that areseparately mounted within the mouthpiece. In still other embodiments,electrical energy can be supplied to the first and second lamps 300A-Bthrough simple electrical conductors, such as wires and/or trace linesthat are embedded within the mouthpiece 101. In such an embodiment (asis the case with the above illustrated embodiment), the first electricalconductor is configured to have a first electrical charge, the secondelectrical conductor is configured to have a second electrical chargethat is opposite the first electrical charge, and the third electricalconductor is configured to have the first electrical charge.

Referring now to FIGS. 12-13 and 24 concurrently, an anchor component500 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. The anchor component 500 generally comprises a curved platesection 510 and an anchor section 520. The anchor section 520 protrudesfrom a front surface 511 of the curved plate section 510. The curvedplate section 510 further comprises a rear surface 512 which, asdiscussed below, forms a portion of a lamp mounting surface when theanchor component 500 and curved support plate 400 are assembled. Therear surface 512 of the curved plate section 510 has a concavecurvature. In one embodiment, the concave curvature of the curved platesection 510 is selected to generally correspond to the arch of a user'sdentiture, and specifically to the anterior-most portion of saiddentiture arch.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear surface 512 of the curved platesection 510 is a stepped surface comprising a first surface portion512A, a second surface portion 512B, and a tread surface portion 513extending between the first and second surface portions 512A-B. Asdiscussed in greater detail below, the first surface portion 512A andthe second surface portion 512B are horizontally offset from one anotherso that the first and second lamps 300A-B can be mounted within themouthpiece 101 in a desired offset and inclined orientation.

The anchor portion 520 of the anchor component provides a mechanism bywhich the mouthpiece 101 can be mounted to the housing 102, as isdiscussed in greater detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, theanchor portion 520 comprises first and second anchor elements 521A,521B. In other embodiments, a single anchor element can be utilized toachieve fixation of the mouthpiece 101 to the housing 102. Each of theanchor elements 521A-B is illustrated as a peg member having a postportion 522A-B and a head portion 523A-B. For each of the anchorelements 521A-B, the head portion 523A-B has an enlarged cross-sectionas compared to the post section 522A-B, thereby forming a flange (orshoulder) at the end of the post portion 522A-B. As will be described ingreater detail below, this flange (or shoulder) facilitates mechanicalmating of the anchor elements 521A-B to the housing wall 114.

The curved plate section 510 of the anchor component 500 furthercomprises a central aperture 530. The central aperture 530 provides apassageway through the curved plate section 510 through which the secondelectrical contact element 54B extends when the mouthpiece 101 isassembled. The curved plate section 510 further comprises first andsecond locking apertures 531A-B for receiving snap-fit tabs 630A-B ofthe lamp retaining component 600 (discussed in greater detail below).The locking apertures 531A-B are located along a horizontal centerlineof the anchor component 500 which, in the illustrated embodiment extendsalong the tread surface portion 513.

The anchor component 500 further comprises first and second lampretaining features 535A-B. In the illustrated embodiment, the first andsecond lamp retaining features 535A-B are in the form of angledprotuberances that protrude from the upper and lower edges 536, 537 ofthe curved plate section 510, respectively. As described below, thefirst retaining feature 535A is provided to engage an edge of the firstflexible lamp 300A while the second retaining feature 535B is providedto engage an edge of the second flexible lamp 300B. In certainembodiments wherein the mouthpiece may include only a single flexiblelamp, the anchor component 500 may be formed such that the first andsecond lamp retaining features 535A-B engage opposite edges of the sameflexible lamp. Moreover, in certain embodiments, the rear surface 512may not be stepped but rather a continuous and smooth surface.

The anchor component 500 further comprises a plurality of protuberances540A-D protruding from the front surface 511 of the curved plate section510. The protuberances 540A-D are provided as mechanisms to ensureproper alignment and coupling between the anchor component 500 and thecurved support plate 400 when these two components are coupled togetherto collectively form a lamp support structure 1000 (see FIG. 28). Incertain embodiments, the anchor component 500 is formed of a rigidmaterial, such as PP.

Referring now to FIGS. 14-16 concurrently, a curved support plate 400 isillustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The curved support plate 400, in combination with the anchor component500, provides a lamp support structure 1000 that provides a degree ofstructural rigidity to the mouthpiece 101 for the flexible lamps 300A-B,especially during the manufacturing process. The curved support plate400 is a thin curved plate structure having a front surface 401 and arear surface 402. In certain embodiments, the curved support plate 400is formed of a rigid material, such as a hard plastic, such as PP forexample.

As discussed in greater detail below, the rear surface 402 of the curvedsupport plate 400 forms a portion of the lamp support surface 1001. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the rear surface 402 of the curved supportplate 400 and the rear surface 512 of the anchor component 500collectively define the lamp support surface 1001 to which the each ofthe first and second lamps 300A-B is mounted. It should be noted that incertain embodiments, either the anchor component 500 or the curvedsupport plate 400 can be omitted such that the lamp support structure1000 is formed only by the other one of the anchor component 500 or thecurved support plate 400. In still other, embodiments, the lamp supportstructure 1001 can simply be a component having a curved lamp supportsurface.

The rear surface 402 of the curved support plate 400 has a concavecurvature which, in certain embodiments, generally corresponds to thearch of a user's dentiture. The front surface 401 of the curved supportplate 400, on the other hand, has a convex curvature. In one embodiment,the concave curvature of the rear surface 402 matches the convexcurvature of the front surface 401 so that the curved support plate hasa generally constant thickness along its length.

The curved support plate 400 comprises a central aperture 403 extendingtherethrough. The central aperture 403 is provided to allow the anchorportion 520 of the anchor component 500 to protrude from the frontsurface 401 of the curved support plate 400 when the curved supportplate 400 and the anchor component 500 are coupled together. The frontsurface 402 of the curved support plate 400 further comprises aplurality of depressions 404A-D formed therein. Each of the depressions404A-D comprises a floor 405A-D and a basin wall 406A-D. A channel407A-D is provided in each of the basin walls 406A-D respectively thatforms a passageway between the depressions 404A-D and the centralaperture 403. As discussed below, the channels 407A-D allow for the flowof melted thermoplastic elastomer during the injection overmolding ofthe guard component 700 to flow into the depressions 404A-D, therebyforming elastomeric pad portions 770A-D in the depressions 404A-D.

The curved support plate 400 further comprises a lamp registrationfeature that maintains the flexible lamps 300A-B in their selectedpositions relative to the curved support plate 400. As illustrated, thelamp registration feature comprises first and second ribs 421A-B thatprotrude from the rear surface 402 of the curved support plate 400. Ascan be seen, each of the first and second ribs 421A-B comprises twoU-shaped rib sections that are designed to engage the corners of thefirst and second flexible lamps 300A-B. While the lamp registrationfeature is illustrated as two ribs, the lamp registration feature cantake on a wide variety of structures, such as, without limitation,posts, notches, tabs, overhangs, and combinations thereof

The curved support plate 400 also comprises a plurality of apertures422A-D that are provided to mate with the plurality of protuberances540A-D of the anchor component 500 when the curved support plate 400 andthe anchor component 500 are coupled together. The apertures 422A-D arelocated on tabs 423-D that extend into the central aperture 403. Inother embodiments, the apertures 422A-D may be located elsewhere on thecurved support plate 400.

Referring now to FIGS. 17-19 concurrently, first and second lamps 300A-Baccording to the present invention are illustrated. While only thecross-section of the first lamp 30A is shown in FIG. 19, it is to beunderstood that the second lamp 300 b has the same laminate structure asthat of the first lamp 300A.

Each of the first and second lamps 300A-B comprise a flexible sheet body301A-B respectively. As illustrated, the flexible sheet body 301A-B ofeach of the first and second lamps 300A-B is an elongated sheet that issufficiently flexible such that it can be bent from a planar state intoa contoured shape having a curvature that generally corresponds to thearch of a user's dentiture. In one embodiment, the flexible sheet body301A-B of each of the first and second lamps 300A-B is in a planar statewhen no bending force is applied to the lamp 300A-B.

The flexible sheet body 301A-B of each of the first and second lamps300A-B generally comprises a front surface 302A-B and a rear surface303A-B. Each of the first and second lamps 300A-B also comprises aplurality of light emitters 304A-B embedded within the flexible sheetbody 301A-B that generate light which is emitted from the rear surface303A-B of the flexible sheet body 301A-B (see FIGS. 34-35 also). In onembodiment, the light emitted by the plurality of light emitters 304A-Bhas a wavelength in a range of 375 nm to 520 nm. In another embodiment,the light emitted by the plurality of light emitters 304A-B has awavelength in a range of 400 nm to 430 nm. In a further embodiment, thelight emitted by the plurality of light emitters 304A-B has a wavelengthin a range of 405 nm to 415 nm.

The flexible sheet body 301A-B of each of the first and second lamps300A-B comprises an upper edge 305A-B, a lower edge 306A-B, a first sideedge 307A-B, and a second side edge 308A-B. The flexible sheet body301A-B of each of the first and second lamps 300A-B also comprises alength measured from the first side edge 307A-B to the second side edge308A-B. The flexible sheet body 301A-B of each of the first and secondlamps 300A-B is a laminate structure that generally comprises a flexiblelens plate 309A-B, a flexible reflective layer 310A-B, and first andsecond electrical contacts 311A-B, 312A-B. The plurality of lightemitters 304A-B are disposed between the flexible lens plate 309A-B andthe flexible reflective layer 310A-B. As mentioned below, the pluralityof light emitters 340A-B may be printed directly to the flexible lensplate 309A-B in certain embodiments. Moreover, in certain embodiments,the flexible reflective layer 310A-B may also be printed onto theflexible lens plate 309A-B subsequent to the plurality of light emitters340A-B.

In one embodiment, the flexible lens plate 309A-B of the flexible sheetbody 301A-B of each of the first and second lamps 300A-B has a rearsurface 313A-B and a front surface 314A-B. The rear surface 313A-B ofthe flexible lens plate 309A-B forms the rear surface 303A-B of theflexible sheet body 301A-B of each of the first and second lamps 300A-B.The flexible lens plate 309A-B may be formed of a transparentbiocompatible material, such as transparent PET. The plurality of lightemitters 304A-B, in one embodiment, are light emitting diodes (“LEDs”)printed to the front surface 314A-B of the flexible lens plate 309A-B ofthe flexible sheet body 301A-B of each of the first and second lamps300A-B. In one such embodiment, the LEDs may be printed to the frontsurface 314A-B with an electrically conductive ink 315A-B.

Printed LEDs may be formed by depositing micro LED chips via aconductive ink formulation that can be printed in any shape to bestconform to the teeth and jaw structure, which is ideal for optimizedefficacy. Specifically, gallium nitride may be used to form the LEDs insome embodiments, which may then be mixed with resin and binders to forman ink, and a standard screen printer may be used to deposit theresulting ink over a desired surface. Although described herein as beingprinted LEDs, the plurality of light emitters 304A-B may, in certainembodiments, be any type of light source, particularly solid state lightsources, which may include LEDs, OLEDs, HBLEDs, electroluminescentelements, or the like. In certain other embodiments, the plurality oflight emitters 304A-B can be printed inorganic LEDs, micro conventionalLEDs that are surface mounted to a flexible substrate/circuit, organicLEDs (OLEDs), or electroluminescence. In still other embodiments, theplurality of light emitters 304A-B can be any of the LEDs noted hereinmounted to a rigid rather than a flexible substrate.

For each of the first and second lamps 300A-B, the first electricalcontact 311A-B has a first contact surface 316A-B that forms a firstportion of the front surface 302A-B of the flexible sheet body 301A-B.Similarly, for each of the first and second lamps 300A-B, the secondelectrical contact 312A-B has a second contact surface 317A-B that formsa second portion of the front surface 302A-B of the flexible sheet body301A-B.

As illustrated, for each of the first and second lamps 300A-B, each ofthe first and second electrical contacts 311A-B, 312A-B is in the formof an elongated strip that extends the entire length of the lamp 300A-B.For the first lamp 300A (which is the upper lamp in the mouthpiece 101),the first electrical contact 311A is adjacent the upper edge 305A whilethe second electrical contact 312A is adjacent the lower edge 306A. Forthe second lamp 300B (which is the lower lamp in the mouthpiece 101),the first electrical contact 311B is adjacent the lower edge 306B whilethe second electrical contact 312B is adjacent the upper edge 305B. Foreach of the first and second lamps 300A-B, the first electrical contact311A-B extends generally parallel to and second electrical contact312A-B.

In one embodiment, each of the first and second lamps 300A, 300B has anillumination area (i.e., area of the rear surface 303A-B that comprisesplurality of light emitters 304A-B) that is in a range of 6 cm² to 11cm², more preferably in a range of 7 cm² to 10 cm², and most preferablyin a range of 8 cm² to 9 cm². The height of illumination area may be ina range of 0.5 cm² to 3 cm², and more preferably 0.5 cm² to 2 cm², with1 cm² being most preferred. The length of illumination area may be in arange of 6 cm to 11 cm, more preferably in a range of 7 cm to 10 cm, andmost preferably in a range of 8 cm to 9 cm.

Referring now to FIGS. 20-21 concurrently, a lamp retaining component600 is illustrated according to an embodiment of the present invention.As will be discussed in greater detail below, the lamp retainingcomponent 600 is used to retain the first and second lamps 300A-300B tothe lamp support surface 1001 when the mouthpiece is assembled (andduring the injection molding of the guard component 700 to the lampassembly 2000). The lamp retaining component 600, in one embodiment, isformed of a rigid material, such as a hard plastic. Suitable hardplastics include without limitation polymers and copolymers of ethylene(polyethylene), propylene (polypropylene), butadiene, polyamide,cellulosic, SAN, acrylic, ABS, vinyl compounds, and polyesters such aspolyethylene terephthalate, or other commonly known thermoplastics usedin oral hygiene device manufacture.

The lamp retaining component 600 generally comprises a lamp engagementportion 610 and a plate portion 620. The lamp engagement portion 610comprises a first arched surface 611 that contacts the lower portion ofthe first lamp 300A and a second arched surface 612 that contacts theupper portion of the second lamp 300B. As can be seen, because the lamps300A-B, in one embodiment, are supported on the lamp support surface1001 in a horizontally offset manner, the first and second archedsurfaces 611, 612 of the lamp retaining component 600 are alsohorizontally offset from one another in certain embodiments.

The lamp retaining component 600 further comprises a locking featurethat locks the lamp retaining component 600 to the anchor component 500to ensure that the lamps 300A-B are compressed therebetween and/or heldin place. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking feature of the lampretaining component 600 comprises first and second locking tabs 630A-B,which are configured to snap-lock to the anchor component 500. Morespecifically, the lamp retaining component 600 is coupled to the anchorcomponent by inserting the first and second locking tabs 630A-B throughthe locking apertures 531A-B of the anchor component 500. Duringinsertion, the chamfered surfaces 631A-B of the first and second lockingtabs 630A-B contact the rear surface 512 of the curved plate section 510of the anchor component 500 and deflect the first and second lockingtabs 630A-B. Once fully inserted through the locking apertures 531A-B ofthe anchor component 500, the first and second locking tabs 630A-B snapback into their normal state, thereby causing locking surfaces 632A-B ofthe first and second locking tabs 630A-B to mate with and mechanicallyengage an edge portion of the curved plate section 510 of the anchorcomponent 500 that defines the locking apertures 531A-B of the anchorcomponent 500.

As can be seen, the plate portion 620 is a flat plate structure thatextends horizontally from the lamp engagement section 610. When themouthpiece 101 is assembled, the plate portion 620 of the lamp retainingcomponent 600 extends horizontally from the lamp support surface 1001(see FIG. 30). As will be described in further detail below, the lampretaining component 600 is embedded in the bite platform of themouthpiece 101 when the mouthpiece is fully assembled in certainembodiments. In addition to retaining the first and second lamps300A-300B to the lamp support surface 1001, the lamp retaining component600 also assists with maintaining the proper contour of the arch-shapedwall 104 of the mouthpiece 101.

In certain embodiments, the lamp retaining component 600 may be omittedall together. In such an embodiment, the function of the lamp retainingcomponent 600 may be performed by the guard component. In otherembodiments, the lamp retaining component 600 may be integrated into thelamp support structure. In another embodiment, the lamp supportstructure may include a plat portion, similar to plat portion 620 thatprotrudes from the lamp support surface.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-24 concurrently, a guard component 700according to the present invention is illustrated. The guard component700, in the illustrated embodiment, is an integrally formed monolithiccomponent. In one embodiment, the guard component 700 is formed of amaterial so as to provide comfort to the user when the mouthpiece 101 isinserted into the oral cavity. In one such embodiment, the material ofwhich the guard component 700 is formed has a hardness value that isless than the hardness value of the material (or materials) of which thelamp support structure 1000 is formed (in the illustrated embodiment thelamp support structure 1000 is formed by the combination of the anchorcomponent 500 and the curved support plate 400, but may be a singularcomponent in other embodiments). To this end, in one embodiment, theguard component 700 is formed of an elastomeric material. Suitableelastomeric materials include, without limitation, thermoplasticelastomers, rubbers, silicones, or other biocompatible resilientmaterials suitable for uses in an oral hygiene apparatus includingthermoset elastomers or the like.

The guard component 700 generally comprises a wall portion 750 and abite platform portion 760. The bite platform portion 760 extendshorizontally from the wall portion 750. The wall portion 750 canconceptually be divided into an upper wall portion 751 and a lower wallportion 752. In embodiments that include the bite platform portion 760,the bite platform portion 760 is located between the upper and lowerwall portions 751-752. In other embodiments, the bite platform portion760 may be omitted.

The wall portion 750 comprises a central portion 710 and first andsecond wing portions 720A-B. The central portion 710 is arcuate in shapeand has a curvature that corresponds to the anterior portion of the archof the human dentiture. The first and second wing portions 720A-B extendfrom and are located on opposite sides of the central portion 710,thereby generally continuing the curvature that corresponds to the archof the human dentiture. As will be discussed in greater detail below,the first and second wing portions 720A-B, in certain embodiments, areformed entirely out of the elastomeric material in order to ensureflexibility for user comfort. In certain such embodiments, the first andsecond wing portions 720A-B retain their flexible nature as the lampsupport structure 1000 does not extend into the first and second wingportions 720A-B but rather are only located in the central portion 710.

The central portion 710 comprises a first frame portion 711 and a secondframe portion 712. More specifically, the upper wall portion 751comprises the first frame portion 711 while the lower wall portion 752comprises the second frame portion 712. The first frame portion 711comprises a closed-geometry edge 713 that defines a first window 714through which the rear surface 303A of the first lamp 300A remainsexposed when the mouthpiece 101 is assembled. The second frame portion712 comprises a closed-geometry edge 715 that defines a second window716 through which the rear surface 303B of the second lamp 300B remainsexposed when the mouthpiece 101 is assembled. As will be discussed ingreater detail below, when the mouthpiece 101 is assembled, the firstframe portion 711 seals a perimeter of the rear surface 303A of thefirst lamp 300A while the second frame portion 712 seals a perimeter ofthe rear surface 303B of the second lamp 300B.

The guard component 700 further comprises a plurality of pad portions770A-D. When the mouthpiece is assembled, the plurality of pad portions770A-D are respectively disposed in the plurality of depressions 404A-Dof the curved support plate 400. Allowing molten elastomeric material toflow into the depressions to form the plurality of pad portions 770A-Dassists in equalizing pressure on the first and second lamps 300A-Bduring the injection molding process in which the guard component 700 isovermolded to the lamp support structure 1000. In the illustratedembodiment, first and second pad portions 770A-B are located within thefirst window 714 while the third and fourth pad portions 770C-D arelocated within the second window 716. The first and second pad portions770A-B are located within the first and second depressions 404A-Brespectively and contact both the floors 405A-B of the first and seconddepressions 404A-B and the front surface 312A of the first lamp 300A.The third and fourth pad portions 770C-D are located within the thirdand fourth depressions 404C-D respectively and contact both the floors405C-D of the third and fourth depressions 404C-D and the front surface312B of the second lamp 300B.

Referring now to FIGS. 25-34, the assembly of the teeth whitening device100, along with a discussion of the teeth whitening device 100 in theassembled state will be set forth. Beginning with FIG. 28, the curvedsupport plate 400 is provided. The curved support plate 400, in oneembodiment, is formed out of a first material, such as a hard plastic,using an injection molding or other suitable process. Suitable hardplastics include without limitation polymers and copolymers of ethylene(polyethylene), propylene (polypropylene), butadiene, polyamide,cellulosic, SAN, acrylic, ABS, vinyl compounds, and polyesters such aspolyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate (or blends thereof) or othercommonly known thermoplastics used in oral hygiene device manufacture.In other embodiments, the first material may be another suitable rigidmaterial that can properly support and protect the flexible lamps 300A-Bduring the injection molding process of the guard component 700(discussed below).

Referring now to FIGS. 25 and 29, the anchor component 500 is providedand coupled to the curved support plate 400, thereby forming a lampsupport structure 1000. Because the lamp support structure 1000 isformed by the combination of the anchor component 500 and the curvedsupport plate 400, it should be noted that for purposes of this patent,it can be said that the lamp support structure 1000 comprises thevarious features of either of these components as described above forFIGS. 12-13 and 14-16.

In coupling the anchor component 500 to the curved support plate 400,the anchor section 510 of the anchor component 500 is inserted throughthe central aperture 403 of the curved support plate 400. As the anchorsection 510 passes through the central aperture 403, the plurality ofprotuberances 540A-D protruding from the front surface 511 of the anchorcomponent 500 respectively enter the plurality of apertures 422A-D ofthe curved support plate 400, thereby ensuring proper relative alignmentand mating between the anchor component 500 and the curved support plate400. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical contact component 50has been previously mounted to the anchor component 500, prior tomounting to the curved support plate 400. Thus, in FIG. 29, theelectrical contact component 50 is already mounted and integrated intothe lamp support structure 1000.

While the lamp support structure 1000, in the illustrated embodiment, isformed by the combination of the anchor component 400 and the curvedsupport plate 500, the lamp support structure 1000 may be anintegrally-formed single component structure in other embodiments. Instill other embodiments, more than two components can be used to formthe lamp support structure 1000.

The lamp support structure 1000 comprises a lamp support surface 1001(which is formed by the combination of the rear surfaces 402, 512 of thecurved support plate 400 and anchor component 500 in the illustratedembodiment). The lamp support surface 1001 has a concave curvaturewhich, in one embodiment, generally corresponds to the arch of the humandentiture. The lamp support structure 1000 further comprises a frontsurface 1002 (which is formed by the combination of the front surfaces401, 511 of the curved support plate 400 and anchor component 500 in theillustrated embodiment). Thus, the lamp support structure 1000 comprisesa curved plate section 1010 that has a first thickness measured from thefront surface 1002 to the lamp support surface 1001. In one embodiment,each of the first and second lamps 300A-B have a second thicknessmeasured from the rear surface 303A-B of the flexible sheet body 301A-Bto the front surface 302A-B of the flexible sheet body 301A-B. In oneembodiment, a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is ina range 0.5 to 2.5.

The lamp support structure 1000 comprises an upper curved edge 1003, alower curved edge 1004, a first side edge 1005 extending between theupper and lower curved edges 1003, 1004, and a second side edge 1006extending between the upper and lower curved edges. The anchor elements521A-B protrude from the front surface 1002 of the lamp supportstructure 1000. The lamp support structure 1000 further comprises thelamp registration feature 421A-B, the lamp retaining feature 535A-B, andthe depressions 405A-D formed in the lamp support surface 1001, asdescribed in greater detail above with respect to FIGS. 12-13 and 14-16.

The electrical contact component 50 is mounted to the lamp supportstructure 1000 so that electrical coupling of the first and second lamps300A-B can be easily accomplished. Specifically, electrical contactcomponent 50 is mounted to the lamp support structure 1000 so that: (1)the first contact surface 55A of the first electrical contact element54A forms a portion of the lamp support surface 1001; (2) the secondcontact surface 55B of the second electrical contact element 54B forms aportion of the lamp support surface 1001; and (3) the third contactsurface 55C of the third electrical contact element 54C forms a portionof the lamp support surface 1001. In one embodiment, the first, secondand third contact surfaces 55A-C of the electrical contact component 50are substantially flush with the remainder of the lamp support surface1001. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the first, second and thirdcontact surfaces 55A-C of the electrical contact component 50 arelocated in a central portion (horizontally) of the lamp supportstructure, wherein the second contact surface 55B of the secondelectrical contact element 54B is centrally located (vertically) whilethe first contact surface 55A of the first electrical contact element54A is located adjacent the upper curved edge 1003 and the third contactsurface 55C of the third electrical contact element 54C is locatedadjacent the lower curved edge 1004.

As can be seen, the lamp support structure 1000 is a stepped surface inthe central region, with the tread surface portion 513 forming the stepbetween the upper and lower surface portions 512A, 512B, which arehorizontally offset from one another. Conceptually, the upper surfaceportion 512A can be considered a first riser portion of the lamp supportsurface 1001 while the lower surface portion 512B can be considered asecond riser portion of the lamp support surface 1001. In theillustrated embodiment, the second contact surface 55B is also a steppedsurface comprising a first portion 56A and a second portion 56B that arehorizontally offset from one another. The first portion 56A of thesecond contact surface 55B is in surface alignment with the uppersurface portion 512A while the second portion 56B of the second contactsurface 55B is in surface alignment with the lower surface portion 512B.

Referring now to FIGS. 25-26 and 30 concurrently, once the lamp supportstructure 1000 is provided, the first and second lamps 300A-B aremounted to the lamp support surface 1001 of the lamp support structure1000, thereby forming a lamp assembly 2000. Because the first and secondlamps 300A-B are flexible, the lamps 300A-B flex to assume the curvatureof the lamp mounting surface 1001, thereby resulting in the rearsurfaces 313A-B of the flexible sheet bodies 301A-B of the first andsecond lamps 300A-B assuming a concave curvature. The first lamp 300A ismounted above the second lamp 300B.

On the front surfaces 302A-B of the flexible sheet bodies 301A-B of thelamps 300A-B, the first and second electrical contacts 311A-B, 312A-B ofthe lamps 300A-B come into surface contact with the contact surfaces55A-C of the first, second, and third electrical contact elements 54A-C.Specifically, the first contact surface 55A of the first electricalcontact element 54A is in surface contact with the first electricalcontact 311A of the first lamp 300A. The third contact surface 55C ofthe third electrical contact element 54C is in surface contact with thefirst electrical contact 311B of the second lamp 300B. With respect tothe second electrical contact element 54B, the first portion 56A of thesecond contact surface 55B contacts a second electrical contact 112A ofthe first flexible lamp 300A while the second portion 56B of the secondcontact surface 55B contacts a second electrical contact 112B of thesecond flexible lamp 300B. In one embodiment, the surface contactbetween the contact surfaces is sufficient to achieve the desiredelectrical coupling and, thus electrical coupling is achieved solelythrough surface contact. In another embodiment, the contact surfaces maybe soldered together to increase reliability.

As can be seen in FIG. 30, the electrical contact component 50 has aportion 75 that protrudes from the front surface 1002 of the lampsupport structure 1000 adjacent the anchor elements 521A-B. The portion75 comprises an exposed portion of each of the first, second, and thirdelectrical conductors 54A-C to facilitate coupling to the controlcircuit 200 (discussed below).

Proper positioning (and maintaining proper position) of the flexiblelamps 300A-B to the lamp support structure 100 is achieved by the lampregistration feature 421A-B and the lamp retaining feature 535A-B. Asdiscussed in greater detail above, the lamp registration featurecomprises first and second ribs 421A-B that protrudes from the lampssupport surface 1001. As can be seen, the second rib 421A engages firstand second corners of the flexible sheet bodies 301A-B of each of thefirst and second lamps 300A-B while the second rib 421B engages thirdand fourth corners of the flexible sheet bodies 301A-B of each of thefirst and second lamps 300A-B. Moreover, the first and second lampretaining features 535A-B also protrude from the lamp support surface,wherein the first retaining feature 535A engages the upper edge 305A ofthe first flexible lamp 300A while the second retaining feature 535Bengages the lower edge 306B of the second flexible lamp 300B. As canalso be seen, the first retaining feature 535A extends through a notch375A formed in the upper edge 305A of the first flexible lamp 300A whilethe second retaining feature 535B extends through a notch 375B formed inthe lower edge 306B of the second flexible lamp 300B.

Referring now to FIGS. 25, 27 and 31 concurrently, once the first andsecond lamps 300A-B are in position against the lamps support surface1001, the lamp retaining component 600 is aligned with the lamp supportstructure 1000 and coupled thereto. Specifically, the lamp retainingcomponent 600 is aligned with the lamp support structure 1000 so thatthe first and second locking tabs 630A-B are aligned with the lockingapertures 531A-B of the lamp support structure 1000. The lamp retainingcomponent 600 is moved towards the lamp support surface 1001 so that thefirst and second locking tabs 630A-B are inserted through the lockingapertures 531A-B of the anchor component 500. During insertion, thechamfered surfaces 631A-B of the first and second locking tabs 630A-Bcontact the lamp support surface 1001 and deflect the first and secondlocking tabs 630A-B. Once fully inserted through the locking apertures531A-B, the first and second locking tabs 630A-B snap back into theirnormal state, thereby causing locking surfaces 632A-B of the first andsecond locking tabs 630A-B to mate with and mechanically engage thefront surface 1002 of the lamp support structure 1000.

During this process, the first arched surface 611 of the lamp retainingcomponent 600 contacts the lower portion of the first lamp 300A whilethe second arched surface 612 of the lamp retaining component 600contacts the upper portion of the second lamp 300B. As a result thelamps 300A-B are pressed against the lamp support surface 1001. In oneembodiment, the lower portion of the first lamp 300A may be compressedbetween the lamp retaining component 600 and the lamp support surface1001 while the upper portion of the second lamp 300B is compressedbetween the lamp retaining component 600 and the lamp support surface1001.

Referring now to FIGS. 25-27 and 32 concurrently, once the lamp assembly2000 is fully assembled (as shown in FIG. 31), the guard component 700is overmolded to the lamp assembly 2000, thereby forming the mouthpiece101. As discussed above, the guard component 700 comprises the first andsecond frame portions 711, 712. The first frame portion 711 comprisesthe closed-geometry edge 713 that defines the first window 714 throughwhich the rear surface 303A of the first lamp 300A remains exposed.Thus, in this embodiment, the rear surface 303A of the first lamp 300A(which is also the rear surface 313A of the flexible lens plate 309A)also acts as the first light emitting surface 106. Similarly, the secondframe portion 712 comprises the closed-geometry edge 715 that definesthe second window 716 through which the rear surface 303B of the secondlamp 300B remains exposed when the mouthpiece 101 is assembled. Thus, inthis embodiment, the rear surface 303B of the second lamp 300B (which isalso the rear surface 313B of the flexible lens plate 309B) also acts asthe second light emitting surface 107.

The first frame portion 711 forms an annular seal about the perimeter ofthe rear surface 303A of the first lamp 300A. The second frame portion712 forms an annular seal about the perimeter of the rear surface 303Bof the second lamp 300B. Additionally, during the overmolding processthat forms the guard component 700, molten elastomeric material flowsinto the depressions 405A-D of the lamps support surface 1001, therebyforming the pad portions 770A-D. Allowing molten elastomeric material toflow into the depressions 405A-D to form the plurality of pad portions770A-D assists in equalizing pressure on the first and second lamps300A-B during the injection molding process in which the guard component700 is overmolded to the lamp support structure 1000. The first andsecond pad portions 770A-B are located within the first and seconddepressions 404A-B respectively and contact both the floors 405A-B ofthe first and second depressions 404A-B and the front surface 312A ofthe first lamp 300A. The third and fourth pad portions 770C-D arelocated within the third and fourth depressions 404C-D respectively andcontact both the floors 405C-D of the third and fourth depressions404C-D and the front surface 312B of the second lamp 300B.

As can best be seen in FIG. 26, the guard component 700 furthercomprises the first wing portion 720A that extends beyond the first sideedge 1005 of the lamp support structure 100 and the second wing portion720B that extends beyond the second side edge 1006 of the lamp supportstructure 1000. The first and second wing portions 720A-B, in theillustrated embodiment, are formed entirely out of the elastomericmaterial, thereby providing flexibility at the end portions of themouthpiece 101 for user comfort. The lamp support structure 1000 doesnot extend into the first and second wing portions 720A-B. However, ascan be seen, once the guard component 700 is formed, at least a portionof the front surface 1002 of the lamp support structure 1000 remainsexposed.

Referring now to FIGS. 27 and 33-34 concurrently, once the mouthpiece101 is formed, it is coupled to the housing 102, thereby fixing themouthpiece 101 to the housing 102 and sealing all electrical components.Specifically, the lower portion 151 of the housing 102 is provided withthe control circuit 200 in position. The mouthpiece 101 is positioned sothat the anchor elements 521A, 521B are above first and second openslots 198A-B formed into a lower section of the housing wall 114. Themouthpiece 101 is lowered so that the anchor elements 521A, 521B enterinto the first and second open slots 198A-B, wherein the post sections522A-B extend through the first and second open slots 198A-B and thehead portions 523A-B are coated on the opposite side of the housing wall114. The upper portion 150 of the housing 102 is then positioned atopthe lower portion 151 of the housing 102. The upper portion 150comprises an upper section of the housing wall that also includes openslots that, when coupled to the lower portion 151, complete the housingwall 114 and form the first and second anchor apertures 116, 117.

Referring solely now to FIG. 25, the mouthpiece 101 is designed, incertain embodiments, such that the first light emitting surface 106 andthe second light emitting surface 107 are located on opposite sides of ahorizontal reference plane H-H. The first light emitting surface 106 isinclined so that a first acute angle θ1 is formed between with the firstlight emitting surface 106 and the horizontal reference plane H-H. Thesecond light emitting surface 107 is inclined so that a second acuteangle θ2 is formed between with the second light emitting surface 107and the horizontal reference plane H-H.

The bite platform 105 extends from the first and second light emittingsurfaces 106, 107 along the horizontal reference plane H-H. In oneembodiment, the first and second acute angles θ1, θ2 are different fromone another. In another embodiment, the first and second acute anglesθ1, θ2 are the same. Each of the first and second acute angles θ1, θ2are in a range of 75° to 89°.

As can be seen, the lower edge 306A of the first lamp 300A ishorizontally offset from the upper edge 305B of the second lamp 300B.Moreover, the first and second lamps 200A-B are horizontally offset fromone another such that the first lamp 300A is closer to the housing 102than the second lamp 300B when measured along the reference plane H-H.In certain embodiments, the body of the mouthpiece 101 can be formed ofa singular component that comprises a lamps support surface to which thefirst and/or second lamps are mounted.

As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each andevery value that is within the range. Any value within the range can beselected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references citedherein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. In theevent of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and thatof a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural andfunctional modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the inventionshould be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oral treatment device comprising: an intraoralmouthpiece comprising: a lamp support structure comprising a lampsupport surface; first and second lamps, each of the first and secondlamps comprising a plurality of light emitters that generate light whichis emitted from a rear surface of the lamp; each of the first and secondlamps mounted to the lamp support surface, thereby forming a lampassembly, each of the first and second lamps operably coupled to acontrol circuit having a power source; and a lamp retaining componentcoupled to the lamp support structure, a lower portion of the first lampand an upper portion of the second lamp retained between the lampretaining component and the lamp support surface of the lamp supportstructure.
 2. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 furthercomprising: each of the first and second lamps comprising: a flexiblesheet body having a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surfaceof the flexible sheet body forming the rear surface of the lamp; and theplurality of light emitters embedded within the flexible sheet body; andwherein each of the first and second lamps are mounted to the lampsupport surface so that the rear surface of the flexible sheet body ofeach of the first and second lamps assumes a concave curvature; andwherein a lower portion of the flexible sheet body of the first lamp andan upper portion of the flexible sheet body of the second lamp isretained between the lamp retaining component and the lamp supportsurface of the lamp support structure.
 3. The oral treatment deviceaccording to claim 2 wherein the lamp retaining component comprises afirst arched surface that contacts the lower portion of the flexiblesheet body of the first lamp and a second arched surface that contactsthe upper portion of the flexible sheet body of the second lamp.
 4. Theoral treatment device according to claim 3 wherein the first and secondarched surfaces of the lamp retaining component are horizontally offsetfrom one another.
 5. The oral treatment device according to claim 2wherein, for each of the first and second lamps, the flexible sheet bodycomprises a flexible lens plate and a flexible reflective layer, theplurality of light emitters disposed between the flexible lens plate andthe flexible reflective layer, and wherein a rear surface of theflexible lens plate forms the rear surface of the flexible sheet body.6. The oral treatment device according to claim 5 wherein, for each ofthe first and second lamps, the flexible sheet body comprises first andsecond electrical contacts for supplying electrical energy from thepower source to the plurality of light emitters, each of the first andsecond electrical contacts having a contact surface that forms a portionof the front surface of the flexible sheet body of the lamp.
 7. The oraltreatment device according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of lightemitters are light emitting diodes printed to a front surface of theflexible lens plate.
 8. The oral treatment device according to claim 2wherein the intraoral mouthpiece further comprises: a guard componentcoupled to the lamp assembly, the guard component comprising: a firstframe portion defining a first window through which the rear surface ofthe flexible sheet body of the first lamp is exposed; a second frameportion defining a second window through which the rear surface of theflexible sheet body of the second lamp is exposed; and a bite platformportion located between the first and second lamps, the lamp retainingcomponent embedded in the bite platform portion.
 9. The oral treatmentdevice according to claim 8 wherein the lamp support structure comprisesa plurality of depressions formed into the lamp support surface; andwherein the guard component comprises a pad portion filling each of thedepressions.
 10. The oral treatment device according to claim 8 whereinthe guard component is an integrally formed monolith mass of anelastomeric material.
 11. The oral treatment device according to claim 1wherein the lamp retaining component snap-locks to the lamp supportstructure.
 12. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 whereinthe lamp retaining component comprises a plate portion extendinghorizontally from the lamp support surface.
 13. The oral treatmentdevice according to claim 1 further comprising: a housing containing thecontrol circuit; and the intraoral mouthpiece coupled to and extendingfrom the housing; and wherein the lamp support structure comprises ananchor element extending from a front surface of the lamp supportstructure that mates with the housing to fix the light assembly to thehousing.
 14. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 wherein thelamp support structure comprises a lamp registration feature thatmaintains the first and second lamps in selected positions relative tothe lamp support structure.
 15. The oral treatment device according toclaim 1 wherein the lamp support structure comprises an upper curvededge, a lower curved edge, a first side edge extending between the upperand lower curved edges, and a second side edge extending between theupper and lower curved edges; and wherein the guard component furthercomprises a first wing portion extending beyond the first side edge ofthe lamp support structure and a second wing portion extending beyondthe second side edge of the lamp support structure.